Hey Chef Kevin.. I'm aware of your" license to post" .. I won't be deleting you..
Darla,
You can lower high cholesterol by changing your diet, and exercising..
AVOID SATURATED and HYDROGENATED fats. ( these are found in whole-fat dairy products, butter, margarine, coconut and palm oil red meats, and baked goods, for example) Eating saturated fats raise your LDL.
Instead use olive or canola oil in cooking. These oils actually raise the HDL, the good cholesterol. They are tasty on french bread, when you flavor them with fresh herbs and garlic, and use them as a dipping oil...
Avoid highly sweet things, and very starchy things, ( potatoes, white rice, white breads, sugar, ) These raise your triglycerides. Look for the diabetic choices for sugar-free treats. The low-carb foods are very high in fat.
Since all animals produce cholesterol, and it circulates through their bloodstreams too... you want to avoid consuming too much of their cholesterol when you eat... so avoid red meat in your diet. Also avoid high fat cuts of beef and pork. When you do eat these meats, choose the leaner cuts, and remove all visible fats prior to cooking. Chicken is always a good choice, or switch to fish, especially cold water varieties that contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats.. These raise the HDL in your body too.
Whole grain breads and brown rice, pastas as a side dish, with lots of veggies and a lot of fiber in wonderful salads (with olive oil and balsamic vinigrette)
.. These are all wonderful and good sources of fiber. High fiber, unsweetened breakfast cereals, whole fruits instead of fruit juices, and oatmeal are good for breakfast.. HIgher fiber lowers LDL.
Beans and legmes... all kinds, except re-fried beans.. they are very high in saturated fat!
Aerobic exercise also raises your HDL.. (It causes your liver to produce more of it.. )
And then again..some of us just produce more cholesterol than others.. So sometimes there is nothing we can do to control it, and medication is the only answer. We needed the cholesterol when we were growing. It was an essential part of creating our nervous system.. But now that we're grown, some of our bodies are still producing it in large ammounts, We don't need it any more, so it circulates in iour blood, and causes us all kinds of trouble.
I think there should be an off switch for cholestarol... It would be so much easier than having to diet. ( I hate dieting... Even though I like salad and legumes.. I like ice cream too.. LOL! )
Val
PS .. Just a note on Lecithin.. It's a soy by-product with wonderful antioxident properties. It's found in many foods as a stabilizer and additive, and is reportedly safe for people with soy allergies in those uses. But if you have any sensitivity to soy, or are on hormone treatments, check with your doctor before starting large doses of Lecithin
V.
